


To Fly Again

by Oreocat155338



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: (Explanation will turn up sooner or later), (which is the main reason there's no Kili), Beladrielas is his dragon form, Buckle up folks, I dunno if the durins are gonna die, Kili is not on the Quest for Erebor, Legolas is banished from the Greenwood, Other, and Bilbo his Hobbit, bilbo is a dragon, dragon!AU, ugh so many characters to remember
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-04-26 21:17:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14410746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oreocat155338/pseuds/Oreocat155338
Summary: In which Bilbo having been Beladrielas the Clever, The dragon to fight on the side of the Free Peoples changes things, including the home of Legolas (not-quite-yet) Greenleaf.After his last encounter with Smaug (in which he was wounded to the point of death) he has spent centuries recovering in the Shire.When, many years after Smaug's reappearance in Erebor, Gandalf turns up at Bag End with twelve dwarrow and one elf in tow with a dangerous, insane plan to finally end Smaug, Beladrielas-turned-Bilbo cannot help but be caught up in it.





	1. Prologue & Chapter 1

Beladrielas the Clever was said to be an intelligent dragon, and quick as could be. They said that his scales were as silver as the lonely moon. He was a young dragon, or at the very least, smaller than his brethren.

  
But what made Beladrielas different from other dragons was his decision to turn against their ways. He had sided with the elves in the Great Conflict that destroyed most of the dragons.

  
Most of these kills could be attributed to him. Beladrielas had a way with words, and could often stall his fellows long enough for his elven and human allies to slay them. Others, he had pursuaded to turn on the dragons.

  
The last battle Beladrielas ever faught was the most dangerous. He raced against time to weaken Smaug, to last against him long enough for the elves and humans to win. All assembled knew that Smaug was the last of the Great Fire-Drakes. They knew that killing him would end the war...

 

But Smaug was as cunning as Beladrielas. None of the archers below could make a shot for fear of hitting Beladrielas instead, leaving Beladrielas on his own.

 

 

The last seen of either dragon for centuries to come was Beladrielas falling from the sky, barely able to stay in the air. He had disappeared into the mountians, and they had been unable to find his body.

 

Smaug had disappeared. Until he attacked Erebor and claimed the gold within.

 

 

 

* * *

 

There were only two beings in the all of Middle-Earth who knew the fate of Beladrielas. Those two were Beladrielas himself, and Gandalf.

 

Beladrielas had managed to fly quite a distance away before he'd had to land. That was where he had met Gandalf. Beladrielas hadn't had much of a choice back then, either Gandalf could save him or he would die no matter what.

 

So Gandalf had changed his form.

 

Beladrielas had been given a new name, one that suited his form far better, along with instructions to keep his head down and avoid too much attention.

 

Then he had been dropped off in the Shire.

 

 

He had garnered attention, or course, but he had managed to fit in.

Centuries passed, and it got to the point where none of the Hobbits paid him much attention, and, while Beladrielas loved his new life, he found ways to practice fighting so that he could defend himself and the Shire.

 

 

He had been especially fond of Belladonna Took, and when she chose to adventure off with Gandalf, that had been only time he had ever left the Shire since his arrival. He found himself enjoying himself, and soon the reason he accompanied Gandalf and Belladonna was no so much for Belladonna's protection, but also for himself.

 

He had cheered when she had married Bungo Baggins, and had cried with her when they learned that she was barren. He wasn't there, however, when she and Bungo agreed to name him as their heir.

 

The other Hobbits had reluctantly agreed to this, with the condition that he become a Baggins.

 

 

And so he did. He took up the Baggins name and everything it represented.

 

 

 

 

And that is how Bilbo Baggins came to be.


	2. Unexpected Guests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our beloved hobbit-dragon has some unexpected guests...

Beladrielas became a true Baggins surprisingly quickly. He had been resectable enough before he had inheirited Bag End, but afterwards, within twenty years he was seen as perfectably respectable.

  
It hadn't been easy, but the loss of yet nother friend left Bilbo without much of a desire to adventure.

Before he had taken every oppurtunity to adventure with Gandalf, trying to find a way to regain his true form.

And when he had heard of Smaug's reemergence, he had argued with the wizard, telling Gandalf to give him his true form back so he could face Smaug.

Gandalf had refused, telling Bilbo he was not to face Smaug, telling him that he would regain his true form when it was truly needed.

So Bilbo had settled down, doing his best to forget his time as Beladrielas.

And he had told Gandalf that under no circumstances would he go adventuring again.

So why was Gandalf walking up the lane?

***

Gandalf had asked Bilbo on an adventure, completely forgetting how Bilbo had told him that he would not, under ANY circumatances, go adventuring again.

Except his specific wording had said something about Smaug and his death, but wouldn't Bilbo have heard if Smaug was dead?

No matter, he'd sent Gandalf away, inviting him for tea out of politeness, no real invitation meant. Gandalf had left with a 'humf!' And that had been the end of that.

Except there were dwarves in his smial. Claiming that Gandalf had sent them.

So he was scrambling around, trying to keep his smial (and china!) in one piece. Really, didn't those dwarves have any manners? It made him glad that he'd faught alongside elves and men instead of dwarves!

Except, right, the dwarves had brought an elf with them. At least the elf had better manners.

And then when Gandalf finally arrived, he refused to tell Bilbo anything about what was going on until the leader of the Company arrived.

And then the dwarves started throwing around his good china.

Really! The nerve of those dwarves!

***

The dwarves leader arrived and turned out to be a dwarf. Of course.

And, being a dwarf, the first thing that he did after entering Bilbo's smial was insult him. All because he had said he had some skill at conkers!

To be honest, that was sort of his fault. He'd been surprised at the dwarf questioning him on his weapon of choice. He knew that throwing conkers and throwing knives were really similiar.

And then the dwarf didn't even thank him for saving some food!

Bilbo half listened to the detail of the quest. They needed a burglar to steal the Arkenstone from-

Wait, Smaug?

Bilbo clenched his teeth, feeling very much like Beladrielas again. he fixed Gandalf with a Look, trying to silently convey to the wizard that they needed to talk. 

Hopefully he got the message.


	3. Nori the Sneaky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori discusses the things that makes Bilbo seem like... Not a Hobbit.
> 
> Meanwhile, Bilbo and Gandalf get into a heated argument.

Nori had noticed something off with their Hobbit host. He'd slipped through the Shire too many times to not notice the differences between this Hobbit and the rest.

 

Like how when he ran his fingers through his hair his hair changed from gold to silver, bouncy and curly to flat and scaly. His fingers briefly became tinted with silver as well.

 

And his eyes. Whenever he was annoyed his eyes changed, circular pupils into vertical lines. And even when he wasn't annoyed, they held a weight that suggested that he was MUCH older that he looked.

 

Nori had slipped away while Thorin was explaining their quest to speak with the Hobbits about their host, and he'd gotten a lot of information.

 

"They call him the First Took." Nori told Thorin. "Say he's lived in the Shire for near two hundred years or so. Without aging a day."

 

"A former wizard, prehaps?" Thorin asked.

 

"No, I've heard accounts of him fighting with weapons. Mostly daggers and throwing knives, though." Nori said. "They say that he just showed up one day out of the blue with Gandalf."

 

"Where did he come from, then?" Thorin asked.

 

"Wouldn't tell me that they thought." Nori said, "At least, the adults wouldn't. One of the young romantic ones said that the Hobbits reckened that he's Gandalf's half-Hobbit son. They claim he saved all their lives during something called the Fell Winter."

 

"Fell Winter?" Thorin asked, eyes snapping up at the thief.

 

"Aye." Nori said. "Coldest winter the Shire's ever known. Even froze the Brandywine, the Shire's only means of protection. Wolves and..." He trailed off. "Thorin, Orcs and Goblins attacked the Shire. Either it was because they were hungry, or it was because-"here Niro paused.

 

"What, Nori?" Thorin asked sharply.

 

"A legend." Nori said. "They've no proof but... They tell tale of some Bullroarer Took, a hobbit who could ride a horse and knocked a Goblin Kings head off. The Hobbits say that the Goblins still remember."

 

 

"Have you noticed anything off about him?" Thorin asked.

 

"Aye, one thing I know for sure is whatever he is, he's no Hobbit." Nori said. "Gandalf placed some sort of enchantment on 'im, and it's wearing off. When he runs 'is hands through his hair when hes' stressed, 'is hair turns silver and scaly. 'Is hands gain a silver tint. Sometimes 'is eyes become vertical slits, and even without that, I can see 'es older than he looks."

 

"He's gone to speak with the wizard." Thorin said. "Listen in, if you can." Nori nodded and headed off, finding their host and Gandalf with surprising ease.

 

 

They were already deep in conversation.

 

 

"-nearly killed me last time Gandalf! And you used up almost all of your magic saving my life! No, I'm not-"

 

"Bilbo!" Gandalf snapped. "You said you wanted to face him. You have your chance now and you know as well as I that without you their quest is doomed to fail!"

 

"I don't have a death wish Gandalf!" Bilbo replied, voice taunt. "I'm more than happy to live the rest of my days here, in the Shire!"

 

"Belladonna wouldn't have been pleased to see what her death did to you!" Gandalf said. "The two of you had so much fun together, it's a surprise she married Bungo instead!" A moment passed. "You loved adventuring as much as she did, even the Baggins' could see that."

 

"Her death was the final straw." Bilbo said. "I can't watch more of them die, Gandalf!"

 

"Then why are you staying?" Gandalf asked. "If you stay, then you will watch as they age and die around you, while you remain the same for centuries! This is your only chance. My magic was never meant to be permanent, but at this rate, it will be! It has sunken in so deep that this may be the only thing that can undo it!"

 

"Gandalf, you don't know what you're asking of me." Bilbo said. "I-"

 

"I will need that magic soon, Beladrielas!" Gandalf snapped. "And if you do not come, then your peaceful life will be shattered by another who's intentions are not as pure as mine! I can feel the stirrings of the Enemy. I know you can feel his call."

 

"I can ignore it." Bilbo - or was it Beladrielas? - replied. "He has no claim over me."

 

"His magic is stronger than mine." Gandalf said. "And it will break through my spell, and sieze control over your mind."

 

"I cannot go, Gandalf." Bilbo said. "I have a duty to the Shire."

 

The dwarf thief waited a few more moments, but it appeared that their conversation had ended.

 

 

Nori returned to Thorin. "It appears he will not come."

 

"I thought not." Thorin growled. "He is a soft creature."


	4. Departure

When Bilbo woke up in the morning, his smial was quiet and his guests were already gone.

Gone to face Smaug, with or without him. 

And even with him, the chances of their success were rather slim, given what had happened last time he'd faced Smaug.

Despite the dwarves nonexistent manners, he couldn't let them go to their deaths. He let out a sigh, before searching for anything that they might've left. 

He found a contract sitting on one of his tables and quickly picked it up, before reaching over to grab his pen and he signed it. He rolled it up, and put it in his bag, leaving his copy of his will in it's place. The Thain, his adoptive cousin Drogo, and Hamfast all had copies of his will to ensure that it would be followed.

Then he stepped out of Bag End, locking it. He hurried to Hamfast's, knocking on the door.

"Bilbo?" The Hobbit asked. "What are you doing out so early in the morning? It's time for first breakfast!"

"I'm on an adventure," Bilbo said, handing Hamfast the key. "Don't let Lobelia have it, don't even let her know YOU have it. If you would, keep my house clean and my garden in order, would you?"

"I can do that." Hamfast agreed with a nod. "Where are you going?"

"With the dwarves that showed up last night," Bilbo said. "They're heading off to certain death if I don't come." With that, he took off again.

"Good luck Master Bilbo!" Hamfast shouted after him, finally remembering his manners as he hid Bilbo's key.

***

His stride lengthened when he saw the dwarves on ponies up ahead and doubted himself for a moment. It disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared when he reminded himself that without him they stood no chance against Smaug.

"Wait!" He shouted. "I signed it!" They stopped and turned around and he pulled the scroll out of his adventure bag and handed it to Balin. He read through it quickly before turning to Thorin.

"It appears everything is in order." He said, nodding approvingly. "Welcome to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, Master Baggins."

"Give him a pony!" Thorin barked, and Bilbo opened his mouth to protest before he remembered how far away Erebor was.

Instead, he settled for giving Gandalf a dark glare as Fili and the elf picked him up from their ponies and put him on one of his own.

Then the dwarves started throwing around money. Bilbo looked around, confused.

"They bet on whether or not you would come," Gandalf said, pulling up so he rode next to Bilbo.

"And you?" Bilbo asked, refusing to look at the wizard.

It didn't stop him from hearing the sound of a bag of money hitting the wizard's hand. He sighed in response, before thinking of something else.

"You mentioned the Enemy," Bilbo said, looking at Gandalf. "You think that he will recruit Smaug if he isn't defeated."

"Dragons worked for him last time." Gandalf pointed out. "And few dragons decided to help Men and Elves after his defeat."

"There were dragons that chose to help the Men and Elves?" Ori asked, overhearing their conversation. "What were they named?"

"Yes, there were," Bilbo said, feeling two pairs of eyes on his back. "I wouldn't know about it if my family didn't have their hands on the few books on the subject. I only ever read about one, and according to the book, the last he was seen was just after a fight with Smaug. The dragon was young, while Smaug was older and a better fighter. The book says that he had at least one fatal wound from Smaug and flew off to die alone."

"What was his name?" Ori asked, and Bilbo frowned thoughtfully.

"I never found it in my books." He said. "Perhaps Gandalf knows. Apparently, he was alive back then."

"Smaug fought nearly every one of the dragons that chose to side with Men and Elves," Gandalf said. "And killed every single one he fought. There was Qurrkio, Zyaecur, Xyafizz, Akurox, and, I think... Czach. Though I know I'm forgetting one or two."

"Dragons are vile creatures, wizard!" Thorin snapped. "Capable only of bringing death and despair!" 

"I have spoken with some of the dragons I named a few seconds ago," Gandalf said. "I have watched as they fought desperately to protect the men and elves that were on the ground. They may all be dead, but not all dragons were the same!"

"Just like not all dwarves are the same," Bilbo muttered under his breath.

"Dwarrow." Ori said quickly, and Bilbo's head snapped towards the dwarf.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"The plural form of dwarf." Ori said. "It's not dwarves, that's considered an insult. Use the term dwarrow."

"Oh!" Bilbo said surprised. "I didn't know. Thank you, Ori." A moment passed before he spoke again. "Halfling is considered an insult to Hobbits."

"The term is so common!" Ori said, surprised, Bilbo nodded and waited for the next question. "Why don't Half- er, I mean, why Hobbits do anything about it?"

"Too many Hobbits stay in the Shire," Bilbo said. "Chose not to go adventuring."

"You would have done so yesterday," Nori said, and Bilbo closed his eyes and took a breath.

"You were listening yesterday," Bilbo said. "To my private conversation with Gandalf." He didn't wait for Nori's confirmation (or denial). "Depending on when you got there, you might or might NOT know that I had NO idea you lot were coming. I was upset that Gandalf invited people into my smial without asking me."

 

"But Gandalf told us weeks ago that he'd found our fourteenth member."


	5. GreenLeaf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How did Legolas wind up with the dwarrow? Read on to find out.

Things went along surprisingly well until one night when they were camping. They heard Wargs in the distance, and Fili decided to make a joke out of it. Unsurprisingly, it didn't go over well with Thorin, who snapped at them and went off to brood where the wind would blow his coat so that it billowed in the wind all majestically. Not that Bilbo was jealous or anything.

And then Balin gave them all Thorin's backstory. After Smaug attacked and took Erebor Thror -Thorin's grandfather - lead a dwarven army on Moria to try to reclaim it from a massive army of Orcs.

He failed, and was beheaded by Azog, the pale orc who appearantly vowed to end the line of Durin.

Thrain, Thorin's father, disappeared, and Thorin battled the pale orc with nothing but a sword and a shield made from the branch of an oak tree.

Azog lost a hand and, when asked, Thorin insisted that Azog had died of his wounds some time ago.

Bilbo wasn't so sure, and, from the look on their faces, neither were the elf or Gandalf.

***

"I don't think I ever caught your name." Bilbo told the elf.

"I thought I gave it." The elf said, and Bilbo's nose wrinkled his nose as the blantant lie. "I am Legolas."

"Legolas?" Bilbo asked, the name stricking up a memory somewhere, but he couldn't place it. "How did you wind up to be with dwarrow?"

"I was cast out of the Greenwood." Legolas said. "I am not banished, but my father told me not to return until I have seen the foolishness of my actions."

"If you don't mind me asking, what actions?" Bilbo asked.

"When Smaug attacked." Legloas said. "My father rode a host of elves to Erebor. His intention, I think, would have been war if not for Smaug. As it was, he saw Smaug flying around and dwarrow fleeing the mountian. He paled, and started to pull back, but he didn't. After a few long seconds, I reminded him that we were still their allies, and obliged to give them aid.

"So he gave the order to save as many dwarrow as possible, but not to risk our lives to save them. And under no circumstance was any of us to save Thror. As I neared the mountian, I met Thorin. He was still wearing his royal robes, and easy to see. He was counting his family members, and when he saw me, he said his grandfather had gone back to the treasury, asking me to help save him."

"And you saved him." Bilbo said. "Against Thranduil's orders." Legolas nodded.

"And so he casts me out." Legolas said. "Never mind that none knew where Thrain was, which would have left Thorin in charge, before he had even hit his first majority."

"That's really young." Bilbo said, eyes wide.

"It was why he needed help to get Thror from the treasury." Legolas said. "I see no wrong in my actions, so I remain from my father with the dwarrow."

"Why do you go to the Lonely Mountian?"

"I am needed to lead the way through the Greenwood." Legolas said. "So we do not get lost. And as I cannot follow my father, I follow Thorin."

"There are other elven realms on Middle-Earth." Bilbo said. "You could simply live in one of them."

"My father would recieve word and assume that I have seen the wrong in my actions." Legolas said. "And that I do not return because of my pride." A small smile appeared on his face. "Besides, I have grown... Fond of them." Bilbo nodded, understanding.

It was like how he was not truly a Hobbit, but he had grown fond of them and their ways.

"So you have turned over a new leaf." Bilbo murmured. "Did the dwarrow give you a title?" The elven prince hesistated before nodding.

"Greenleaf." Legolas said. "And every time it is spoken, I am reminded of the Greenwood."

"It's good to remember where you come from, sometimes." Bilbo said thoughtfully, thinking of fire and claws...

 

And death.

 

 

"What na- cín pennas then, lúg?" Legolas asked, _What is your story then, Dragon?_ And Bilbo's head snapped towards the elf, eyes wide in surprise. "How did cin thúl or- sui a perian?" H _ow did you wind up as a Hobbit?_

How did Legolas know that he'd been a dragon once?

"Im lost a maeth dan Smaug." _I lost a fight against Smaug._ Bilbo replied. "Mithrandir found nin sui im was beleth. Ho changed nin cant-." _Gandalf found me as I was dying. He changed my form._

"That's all there is to it." Legolas watched him for a second, before nodding and turning away.

"If you say so." Legolas said, not sounding the slightest bit convinced.


	6. Troll-Tricker

Things continue without much change - why had Bilbo ever thought fondly of adventuring? Of getting rained on for days without end?

Why, if Bilbo hadn't signed a contract, he would have turned around long ago, stubborn dwarrow notwithstanding.

At least Legolas was good company, even though he tried and tried to learn what Bilbo's name had been when he was a dragon.

He didn't outright tell the dwarrow, but Bilbo could tell it was a close thing, and if Thorin asked him, Legolas would answer truthfully. He had threatened Legolas, should the elf tell, but the elf didn't believe that he would follow through.

And he was right about that. Bilbo wouldn't burn him to death, even if he could regain his true form. He'd grown too fond of the elf to kill him.

 

Perhaps he'd just maim him...

***

Somehow Bilbo was surprised that Fili had managed to lose two of the ponies. They went to find out what had taken them - it was Trolls, Bilbo could smell them - and lo and behold, they saw a Troll taking two more ponies.

Bilbo told them to get Thorin while he scouted the Trolls camp, and to please hurry. Then, once they disappeared, he slipped around the edge of the camp, frowning in annoyance when he saw that his hands were not big enough to untie the knot that would allow the ponies to be freed.

He glanced at the trolls, a smile appearing on his face, slipping back around to the dwarrow.

"Why have you not gotten our ponies back?" Thorin asked, eyes narrowed.

"Hands are too small." Bilbo said. "Or the ropes too big, you can look at it either way." He turned back to the trolls. "But, no matter how you look at it, we still can't have the ponies getting eaten." He turned back to the Dwarrow. "You'll have to trust me. Can you do that?"

"Why?" Dwalin asked suspiciously. "So ye can kill us?"

"No!" Bilbo's voice rose just enough to tell the dwarrow he was nearing the end of his patience. "Because I'm going to try talking the Trolls into releasing the ponies themselves. You need to be ready to keep them from bolting, but-" Bilbo glanced at the Trolls nervously.

"You need backup in case it doesn't go how you want it to?" Nori asked, and Bilbo nodded. "I'll come with you then. Between a thief and a burglar we can distract them long enough for the ponies to be calmed."

"We just have to be fast." Bilbo confirmed. He turned to the dwarrow. "The ponies are going to try to run as far from the trolls as possible, you have to be ready, and be fast. I'll leave your positioning to Thorin. Nori and I are going to go over our plan, which should take a minute, so you'd better hurry."

***

Bilbo entered the Troll camp calmly, and the Trolls stopped talking and complaining amongst themselves.

"Hello there." He said with a smile. He stood still as a Troll picked him up, despite every instinct in his Hobbit body SCREAMING at him to fight for freedom. Once he was level with the Troll's eyes, he spoke. "I am a," He paused, translating it. "Wingun beaukav ro deaavh." _Winged beast of death._ "But, to simplify that, you may call me a proavecavor." _Protector_ , the closest thing in the Black Speech to _'Friend'_.

"What is the pro-avec-avor?" The troll stumbled over the syllables, and Bilbo allowed a small smile to appear, though it looked kind instead of sinister, as he wished to.

"I protect the animals in this area." He looked around. "As you can imagine, it is quite large, so it took time for Nature to tell me you are here, and time to arrive."

"What does that mean?" Another troll asked.

"It means that you have taken too much life from this area." Bilbo said with a firm nod. "And so I have been sent to make sure that this area doesn't die. Now, the ecosystem cannot systain you any longer, so I am afraid you shall have to move on, without the ponies."

"We caught 'em fair an' square!" The third troll protested, and Bilbo tutted, shaking his finger disapprovingly.

"But wouldn't you rather let them go so that next time you some, you'll have a stable food source for a couple of months?" Bilbo asked, and as realization dawned on the trolls faces, he continued. "Didn't think of that, did you? Or, for that matter, did you realize that if this ecosystem die, you won't be able to return for decades! Perhaps even centuries!" He acted as though he was distressed.

The trolls looked at each other, looking guilty.

 

"Can we eat you then?" A troll asked. "Afore we leave?"

"I'm not large enough to feed even one of you!" Bilbo said, surprised. "And there's no animals nearabout anywhere large enough! Not to mention you need to hurry, lest you turn to stone." The troll dropped him and Bilbo winced as he hit the ground as the trolls looked up at the sky.

"He's right." A troll confirmed, looking at the quickly brightening sky. "We've got no time." He turned to Bilbo, who was slowly climbing to his feet. "Let's eat 'im for 'is trickery."

Quick as could be, Nori ran out of the brush, grabbing Bilbo by his arm - roughly, but Bilbo wouldn't compain. He hurt from being dropped like that, and wouldn't have escaped the trolls on his own.

"Looks like they're not going to release the ponies." Nori commented. "Still, that was clever."

"We still have to get out of here alive first!" Bilbo protested as a troll cut off their mad dash for the forest. The quickly reversed track, but both of them could see that their escape routes were blocked off. Bilbo lowered his voice so the trolls couldn't hear him. "The ponies, Nori!" Nori spun his head towards Bilbo, confusion showing, but he did as Bilbo asked.

They changed direction and Bilbo reached for his dragon strength, and, to his surprise, it came, though with much effort, and it wasn't much.

But it was enough to get him over the makeshift fence. Bilbo threw Nori - wincing at the effort it took - and then dropped and rolled under it.

Then Bilbo saw Gandalf standing on the stone keeping the trolls within the shade, and allowed himself a sigh of relief. Personally, he'd expected the result to be much worse.

"The dawn take you all!" Gandalf boomed, bringing his staff down on the stone, and the trolls turned around, confused. Bilbo heard a troll say something indiscernible.

"Can we eat him too?" Bilbo heard one ask as the stone broke and sunlight hit the trolls.

He heard the dwarrow arrive, though he remained laying on the ground, panting for air. After all the time he'd spent Not Adventuring, he'd lost a lot of stamina, and it'd been harder than he remembered to use his dragon strength.

"Are you alright?" He heard Legolas ask him, and he nodded.

"I thought I'd be able to convince them to release the ponies." Bilbo said with a wry laugh. "I didn't think about how long we had until dawn!"

"Master Hobbit?" Thorin asked, emerging from the trees. Bilbo heard his footsteps stap as he saw the trolls. "Well, this isn't what I expected to see." He commented quietly.

"Had you asked, I would have accompanied you." Legolas informed Bilbo.

"I thought I'd get them to release the ponies." Bilbo reminded the elf. "Would've needed your speed to catch them."

Legolas did not reply, as he did whenever Bilbo made a good point during one of their talks.


End file.
